The Department of Agriculture is rolling out a new service that will let Twitter users be the first to know about food recalls. The USDA already has a general Twitter feed, but this one will be state-specific, posting safety alerts for meat, poultry, eggs and other products; and information about protecting food during severe weather.

The agency says the state Twitter feeds offer a better way to get information directly to people affected by recalls, which often involve particular geographic areas where food was distributed.